'Jurassic World' Review

It's been fourteen years since the last 'Jurassic Park' film (2001's overly maligned 'Jurassic Park 3') and twenty-two years since Steven Spielberg opened the gates to John Hammond's prehistoric theme park on the mysterious island of Isla Nublar. Now, after over two decades, two mediocre sequels and years of failed story ideas, director Colin Trevorrow's installment in the sci-fi mega franchise takes us back to the island and imagines what it would be like if Hammond's dream could be a reality.

The result?

A horribly scripted monster movie in which nearly every character along with the dialogue they speak makes you want to roll your eyes in a continuous rotation. However, it's an extremely fun film to watch.

The premise basically ignores the previous two movies in the franchise (much like that of the average filmgoer) and instead tries to become a direct sequel to the 1993 masterpiece. In 'Jurassic World' scientists are able to contain the dinosaurs that caused so much trouble in Hammond's original test run, and they finally open a fully functioning, family theme park that puts 'Disney World' to shame. Two brothers (played by 'Iron Man 3's Ty Simpkins and 'The Kings of Summer's Nick Robinson) are sent on a trip to the park by their parents and meet up with their aunt Claire, a species director at the park played by Bryce Dallas Howard. Claire along with a group of scientists have realized that over the years of operation, the general public has grown more accustom to dinosaurs and are starting to look at them no differently than any other wild animal kept in a zoo. Their solution? Create the first ever genetically modified dinosaur to attract the public. Their creation is known as the Indominus Rex. And guess what? It escapes its massive enclosure and begins to cause all sorts of havoc throughout the park and on its guests, including the two brothers. This is when our raptor training, leather vest wearing, Indiana Jones---ing(?), resident badass; Owen Grady (played by Chris Pratt) swoops in to save the day.

Now, as I mentioned before, the characters in this movie are pretty lousy for the most part. They all seem to follow a cliche, Roland Emmerich-esque cast list. Bryce Dallas Howard's character is the shady business person who only sees the dinosaurs as a way of making money until the script tells her otherwise. The two brothers are polar opposites with one being a young, enthusiastic dinosaur lover and the other being a disinterested, texting, fifty year old's idea of a millennial teen (not to mention a complete charisma vacuum). They are both dealing with their parents inevitably divorcing and in the face of great danger they begin to understand each other. Vincent D'Onofrio plays a character who, like most other military types in big blockbuster movies, wants to turn a group of highly intelligent velociraptors into a weapon. And Chris Pratt as Owen Grady is a real waste of the actor's comedic talents. What made Pratt so likable in last summer's 'Guardians of the Galaxy' is that director James Gunn allowed him to embed his trademark sense of humor and really bring some life into the character of Peter Quill (a.k.a Star Lord). However, in this film, Pratt is told to be completely serious and stone-faced for the majority of the film. It's actually quite funny to see how many times the camera focuses on him as he walks into frame with a constant heroic pose. Also, the only returning cast member from the original film is BD Wong as Dr. Henry Wu, but only for a few scenes of expository dialogue. Plus, it's not nearly as cool as having someone like Alan Grant and Ian Malcolm showing up. 

This movie is seriously lacking in some Goldblum. But, to be honest, what movie ISN'T lacking in some Goldblum? 

                                   

The dialogue is also atrocious for the most part. When it's not constant exposition that treats the audience like idiots, it's full of humor that wouldn't even seem slightly funny to a four year old. Plus, some of the "HEAVY" dialogue ends up being overly cheesy or just making absolutely no sense.

Okay. I'm done bad mouthing the movie now, because to be perfectly honest; 'Jurassic World' is a blast. After an opening thirty minute setup that might drag just a tad, there's barely a slow moment and it kept me on the edge of my seat for the remaining hour and a half. 

For as much as I could complain about the movie's dialogue and it's two-dimensional characters, the film gets the one thing that's most important absolutely right: the dinos. Every single moment when a prehistoric creature is on screen is absolutely fantastic. From the incredible image of seeing a Mosasaurus jump from the watery depths to snap onto a great white shark or pteranodons attacking hundreds of tourists or the new Indominus Rex feasting on soldiers, every single moment is thrilling in that fun B-movie kind of way. In fact, 'Jurassic World' seems like something that would be better fitted for a drive-in double feature with something like 1980's 'Alligator' or 1953's 'The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms' rather than something with as much heart as 'Jurassic Park'. In fact, most of the wonder and amazement is put to the side, making way for moments in which dinosaurs lift up tourists throw them into a nearby pool, fling them back out, fly them around a bit, only to get caught in the jaws of a massive, underwater, prehistoric creature in amazing, slow motion glory. Also, the film's final battle is something out of a 'Jurassic Park' fan's wildest dreams. It made the audience roar, me included. 

Director Colin Trevorrow directed a wonderful indie film in 2012 called 'Safety Not Guaranteed' starring Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass and Jake Johnson (who has a small part in this film, and is easily the funniest character), which is why it surprises me that he could take on such a huge action franchise and bring it to life with such visual mastery. 

The problems in 'Jurassic World' are numerous and glaring. However, the things that you want to work from a big budget monster movie work immensely. It's the very definition of a summer film (also one that I recommend seeing in IMAX 3D). I'm willing to recommend this film whole-heartedly just by the immense fun I had in that theater, flaws and all.

Dinosaurs STILL rule the world....just look at the box office numbers.

Grade: B

Review by: Josh McCormack